Wrench



3, 965 G. E. FRANCK 3,198,040

WRENCH Filed Jan. 14, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

Gea geifficanc/o,

G. E. FRANCK WRENCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 14, 1963 sealingly connecting tubular conduits and the like.

United States Patent 3,198,tl4tl WRENCH George E. Franck, Morton Grove, Ill., assignor to Imperial-Eastman Corporation, a corporation of Illinois Filed Jan. 14, 1963, Ser. No. 251,175 6 tilainis. (CI. 8155) This invention relates to wrenches and in particular to wrenches for use in making up fittings such as couplings.

One conventional form of coupling for use in connecting fluid conduits, such as large diameter metal tubes, comprises cooperating coaxial body and nut members which are arranged for relative rotation about the axis in It has been found that in the larger size couplings the force necessary to effect the desired sealing connection is quite large, and the conventional hand operated tools which may be satisfactorily employed with the smaller size couplings cannot be satisfactorily used with such large size couplings. The present invention is concerned with a wrench arranged for use in making up such large size couplings including fluid operated drive means providing the substantial forces required.

Thus, a principal object of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved wrench apparatus.

Another object of the invention is the provision of such a wrench apparatus having new and improved means for providing relative rotation of a pair of jaw members thereof in making up a coupling having relatively rotatable coaxial body and nut members.

A further object of the invention is the provision of such a wrench apparatus having a new and improved 7 means for connecting one of the jaw members to the drive means.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of such a wrench apparatus wherein the connecting means is arranged to preclude undesirable lateral force transfer between the jaw member and the drive means during the rotational movement of the drive means in making up the coupling.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of such a wrench apparatus having an improved arrangement for facilitated selective positioning of the movable jaw member for selective make up and disassembly of the coupling.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision of such a wrench apparatus including a support, a first jaw member fixedly secured to the support for fixedly holding one of the coupling members, an elongated force member having a longitudinal axis, means carried by the support for forcibly axially moving the force memher, a second jaw member for engaging the other of the coupling members, and means connecting the second jaw member to the force member for swinging movement of the second jaw member about the axis of the coupling members as a result of the movement of the force member, the connecting means including means permitting force transfer between the force member and the jaw member substantially only parallel to the axis.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a wrench apparatus embodying the invention arranged for making up a coupling having cooperating body and nut members, the movable jaw member being positioned to provide a force- 'ful rotation of the coupling member upon an outward movement of the drive means;

FIGURE 2 is an end elevation thereof; FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary end view illustrating the rotational movement of the drive means. permitting the selective arrangement of the movable jaw member;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation of the wrench apparatus with the movable jaw member repositioned from the position of FIGURE 1 and with the movable jaw member moving toward the innermost position to ratchet over the couplin member;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary side elevation similar to that or FIGURE 4, but with the movable jaw member moving toward an outermost position to rotate the coupling member.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention as disclosed in the drawing, a power wrench generally designated it) is shown to comprise a support 11, a first jaw member 12 fixedly secured to the support member lit, a second jaw member 13, a fluid operated drive means 14, a force member 15 operated by the drive means 14 for reciprocal forcible movement relative to the support 11,

and connecting means 16 connecting the movable jaw member 13 to the force member 15. Fixed jaw member 12 is arranged to engage a coupling member 17 and movable jaw member 13 is arranged to engage a coupling member 13, which coupling members may comprise cooperating body and nut members of a conventional tube coupling C. The wrench apparatus It? is adapted for use in making up r latively large couplings such as those for use with tubing having an outside diameter of approximately one incn or more where substantial forces must be employed in the make-up of the coupling.

In the illustrated embodiment, the jaw member 12 comprises a U-shaped portion 19 at the outer end of an arm portion 20 which is fixedly secured to the support 11 to extend at an angle to the direction of movement of the force member 15. The U-shaped portion 19 is arranged to straddle the fiatted exterior of the coupling member 17, as shown in FIGURE 1 and to retain this member against rotation about the axis 21 of the coupling. Jaw member 13 herein comprises a jaw structure generally similar to that shown in Mann Patent No. 2,814,- 225 to which patent reference may be had for a detailed description thereof. Briefly, however, the jaw member 13 includes a pair of jaw elements 22 and 23 and a sprin -biased connecting structure 24 permitting the jaw members 22 and 23 to ratchet over the fiatted exterior of the coupling member 17 upon movement in a counterclockwise direction, as seen in FIGURE 1, and to lock onto the coupling member 17 upon movement of the jaw member 13 in a clockwise direction, as is seen in FIG- URE 1.

The relative movement of the jaw members is effected, as indicated briefly above, herein by means of a conventional fluid powered operator 14. In the illustrated embodiment, the operator 14 comprises a hydraulic op erator having suitable fittings 25 for connection to a source of hydraulic pressure. The operator 14 effectively comprises a piston device operable to move the force member 15 reciprocally outwardly and inwardly relative to the support 11 while permitting free rotation of the force member about its longitudinal axis.

The force member 15, as shown in FIGURE 1, comprises a rod extending outwardly from drive operator 14 through the support 11 for reciprocal movement along the axis 26 of the rod. At its outer end, the rod is pro vided with a flatted portion 27 on which a head 28 of connected 16 is fixedly secured.

The head 23 of connector 16 is provided with a slot 29 defining a pair of shoulders 30 and 31 extending substantially perpendicular to the rod axis 2d. The connector further includes a pin 32 extending through slot 2h in slidable engagement with the surfaces 39 and 31, the pin being further connected to the jaw member 13 position shown in FIGURE 1.

lateral forces are transmitted to the'operat'or 14 which i As the jaw member 1 3 swings about the, axis 21v of the coupling during the make-up of the coupling, the pin 32 carried thereon swings in an arc centered on the axis 21, and thereby moves toward and away from the axis 26 of the rod 15 and head 28. However, as the pin has free movement'in slot 29, this swinging movement:en-'

counters no resistance in a direction perpendicular to the axis 26. Thus, a force transfer is effected between the head 28 and the pin 32 only in the direction of the axis i 26, and substantially no force is developed on head 28 tending to displace the rod axis 26 angularly from the I Thus, substantially no During each successive out- While I have shown and described one embodiment of myinvention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangementmay be madewithout departing from the-spirit and scope of the 'inventionas defined in the appended claims. a lclaimz m, v

1. Apparatus for making-up a coupling having coaxial body. and nut members, comprising: a support; a first jaw member fixedly secured to said support for fixedly holding one of the coupling members; an elongated 'forcemem-ber having a longitudinal axis; means fixedly carried by said support forffo'rcibly axially moving said force member and permitting rotation of said force-memher about said axis; asecond jaw member for positively engaging the other ofsaid coupling members when rotated in one direction about the axis thereof and ratcheting over said other of the coupling members when ro- Apparatus 10 may be employed for disassembling the coupling member by reversing the arrangement of the jaw member 13, as illustrated in FIGURES 3, 4 and 5. More specifically, to reverse the operation of the wrench apparatus, the jaw member 13 is swung about the axis 26 to a position 180 opposite that of FIGURE 1, i.e., as shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 3. The jaw member" is then pivoted about the axis of pin 32 in a clockwise direction as shown in FIGURE 4, to bring the jaw member back into engagement with the coupling member 18.

18as the rod 15 moves inwardly in FIGURE 4 and positively engages the coupling member 18 upon an outward movement of the rod 15, as shown in FIGURE 5. In the operation of thewrench apparatus 10 in the arrangement shown in FIGURE 5, the improved unidirectional force transmission between the head 28 and pin 32 is obtained in a manner similar to the transmission in'the arrangement of FIGURE 1, as discussed above. in either arrangement of the wrench apparatus, the rod 15 is precluded from having lateral forces acting thereon tending to cock the rod in drive operator 14 thereby substantially improving the operation of the wrench apparatus and extending the life thereof.

In utilizing the Wrench apparatus 10, the user merely engages the U-shaped portion 19 of jaw 12 with a'coupling Thus, I

tated'in an opposite direction about the axis'thereof; and means connecting said second jaw member to said force member for swinging movement of the said second jaw member. about the axis of said other coupling member as a result of the movement of said force member, said connecting means including means permitting rota tion of said second jaw member about an axis transverse to and adjacent said axis of the force member. I '2. The apparatus of claim 1 where said connecting means includes means permitting force transfer between said force member and said second jaw member substantially only parallelto said longitudinal axis.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for moving the force member comprises a fluid pressure drive and means for selectively operating the drive for moving the force member selectively in either axial directionto efifect a forceful movement of said second jaw member selectively in opposite directions of swinging.

4. Apparatus for making-up a coupling having coaxial body and nut members, comprising: a support; a first jaw member fixedly secured to said-support for fixedly holding one of the couplingmembers; a force member; means carried by said support for forcibly moving said force member parallel to a single line; a second jaw member for engaging the other of said coupling members; and means connecting saidsecond jaw member to said force member forswinging movement of the said second jaw member about the axis of the coupling memand slidable in said slot thereby permitting force transfer between said force member and said second jaw member substantially only parallel to said line. Y

5. Apparatus for making-up a coupling having coaxial body and nut members, comprisingi a support; a

' first jaw member fixedly secured to said support for member 17 and swings the jaw member 13 into engage ment with the member 18, with the jaw member 13 dieposed selectively in the arrangement of FIGURES 1 and 4, depending on the desired direction of rotation of the coupling member 18 for the operation intended, i.e., whether it is desired to make-up the coupling or to disassemble the coupling. The operator 14 is then 'energized seriat-im to rotate the coupling member'18,relative to the coupling member 17, the jaw member 13 positively engaging the coupling member 18 in one selected direcition of swinging thereof while sliding over the' coupling member surface in the opposite direction of swinging to complete the desired Emake-up or disassembly of the fitting. I j

fixedly holding one of the coupling members; aforce member; means carried by said support for forcibly moving saidforce member parallel to a single line; a second jaw member for engaging the other of said coupling members; and means connecting said second jaw member to said force member for swinging movement of the said second jaw member about the axis of the coupling members as a result of the movement of said force member, said connecting means including means on said force member defining a slotv extending perpendicular to said line and a pin connected to said second jaw and slidable in said slot thereby permitting-force transfer between said force member and said second jaw member substantially only parallel to said line.

6. Apparatusfor making-up a coupling having coaxial body and nut members, comprising: a support; a first jaw member fixedly' secured to said support for fixedly holding one ,of the coupling members; a force 5 member; means carried by said support for forcibly moving said force member parallel to a single line; a second jaw member for en aging the other of said coupling members; and means connecting said second jaw member to said force member for swinging movement of the said second jaw member about the axis of the coupling members as a result of the movement of said force member, said connecting means including means on said force member defining a slot extending perpendicular to said line and a pin connected to said second jaw and slidable in said slot thereby permitting force transfer between said force member and said second jaw member substantially only parallel to said line, said second jaw member including means for selectively locking the sec- 0nd jaw member to said other of the coupling members in one direction of swing thereof while allowing disengagement of second jaw mer-iber from said other of the coupling members in the opposite direction of swing thereof.

Reierences Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 874,275 12/0'7 Winger 8154 1,386,220 8/21 Anderson. 2,545,224 3/51 Iohansen 81-54 2,814,225 11/57 Mann 2,871,743 2/59 Kelley.

WiLLlAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner. 

4. APPARATUS FOR MAKING-UP A COUPLING HAVING COAXIAL BODY AND NUT MEMBERS, COMPRISING: A SUPPORT; A FIRST JAW MEMBER FIXEDLY SECURED TO SAID SUPPORT FOR FIXEDLY HOLDING ONE OF THE COUPLING MEMBERS; A FORCE MEMBER; MEANS CARRIED BY SAID SUPPORT FOR FORCIBLY MOVING SAID FORCE MEMBER PARALLEL TO A SINGLE LINE; A SECOND JAW MEMBER FOR ENGAGING THE OTHER OF SAID COUPLING MEMBERS; AND MEANS CONNECTING SAID SECOND JAW MEMBER TO SAID FORCE MEMBER FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT OF THE SAID SECOND JAW MEMBER ABOUT THE AXIS OF THE COUPLING MEMBERS AS A RESULT OF THE MOVEMENT OF SAID FORCE MEMBER, SAID CONNECTING MEANS INCLUDING MEANS ON SAID FORCE 